This is a popular institution in the Forest of Dean, held in a field just outside Coleford every Sunday morning through the year and attracting hundreds of stalls and probably thousands of customers whose cars spread out across the rest of the field. It's 20p to go in and Lin and my mother-in-law delight in it. Here's Lin bargaining over a carpet which she got for ?4.00, and later a 'lovely Turkish rug' for ?3. The contents of a car boot sale, were some catastrophe like the eruption of Vesuvius at Pompeii to descend upon the field leaving everything untouched beneath a layer of ash, would sest many things about our culture - containing videos, DVDs, popular books, a multitude of DIY tools, enormous numbers of toys, chine wear, electrical goods, old agricultural tools, vegetables, plants, pictures, kitchenware, TV's, video players, fridges, washers, curtains, blankets, chairs, sporting goods - but no alcohol, cigarettes or live animals or firearms. Every now and then you come across delightful finds - a piece of unidentified silver, beautifully illustrated book from the 1920 or earlier, a very nice old carpet.

Grandma and Grandpa's old house. My mother grew up here. Now for sale.

When this house was built in the 50s Grandma selected hardwood floors which were subsequently installed but just before they moved in Grandma changed her mind and requested wool carpeting, which was laid over the floor. The next owners chose to keep the floors carpeted as well. So here you can kinda see, through the window, 50 year old hardwood floors that have never been walked on save for the guy who came in and ripped up the carpet before the house went back up for sale last year. They're all glowy. Pretty sweet, huh?